Two side refrigerated display case



J- H. RAINWATER TWO SIDE REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE March 22, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 24, 1958 m T N E V m 3 .MmammW/e,

ATTORNEYS March 22, 1960 J- H. RAINWATER TWO SIDE REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 24, 1958 n Cw 1 v fi m E Z? w m mm w v INV E NTOR JW/msbflw mi! ATTORNEYS BY M14 Unite TWO SIDE REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE Julius H. Rainwater, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to The Warren Company, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application July 24, 1958, Serial No.'75t),719 1 Gaims. (Cl. 62-256) ttes Patent foods, fruits, meats and groceries of all types in a desired refrigerated state while displaying the goods attractively and in a condition rendering them easily accessible to shoppers. Open-top refrigerated display cases of the types heretofore in common use have been designed to be accessible to the shopper only from one side of the display case, the display cases being usually arranged in long rows of case sections disposed end-to-end and arranged in back-to-back relation with similar rows of single side display cases fronting on the next adjacent aisle of the store. Gbviously, such back-to-back arrangements of single side display cases involve great expense as they are based upon duplication of existing case units. Such arrangements are not, however, ideally suited for island merchandizing arrangements wherein large quantities of frozen food products and the like are to be accessible to the shopper from both sides of the case in transversely separated product compartments adjacent the opposite sides, as the back-to-back units are built up from case elements which are not efiiciently adapted for island displays or with such displays in mind, and do not afford an unobstructed view of the entire group of displayed products from one side of the case.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a novel open-top refrigerated display case particularly adapted to form an island type display.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel open-top refrigerated display case adapted to form an island type display, wherein all of the products displayed can be viewed readily from either side of the fixture.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel open-side refrigerated display case particularly adapted to form an island display, wherein the refrigerated air is circulated in a novel manner to protect the products displayed.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel open-top refrigerated display case of the island display type, wherein a shelf canopy is optionally incorporated in the fixture in a novel manner to support and display products above the refrigerated zone of the display case.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating one preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an open-top display case embodying the present invention, illustrating a shelf canopy assembly associated therewith;

Patented Mar. 22, 1,960

. 2 i Figure 2 is a side elevation of the refrigerated display case, with parts broken away to reveal portions of the interior of the display case; p t i Figure 3 is a vertical transverse. section View taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal transverse section view taken along the line'44 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference char-: acters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, the open-top, island type display case of the present invention, indicated generally by the reference character 10, includes a pair of end walls 11, 12 between which extend a bottom 13 and a pair of oppositely facing substantially identical side walls 14, 15, the bottom 13 and end and side walls 11, 12 and 14; 15 being preferably formed in accordance with conventional practice, of outer and inner shells 1 6, '17, preferably formed of metal, between which is disposed a body of insulating material 18. The side walls 14, 15 terminate at their upper ends in inwardly projecting lip formations 19 laterally bounding the access opening 26 through which the products displayed within the display case 10 may be viewed or withdrawn from the refrigerated area. The lip formations 19 may be capped, in accordance with conventional practice, by the usual anti-"sweat heaters, designated generally by the reference character 19'. p

Overlying and spaced from the inner surfaces of the side walls 14, 15 are inner side panels 21, 22 defining rising cold air delivery ducts 23 24 along the inner surfaces of the side walls 14, 15 terminating in air discharge openings 25, 26 at their upper ends. The inner side panels 21, 22 terminate in inwardly projecting flanges 27 at their lower ends which support the outer edges of insulated shelf panels 28, 29 dividing the interior of the display case itlinto a lower refrigerated compartment 30 and upper product compartments 31. A center partition unit 32 extends between the end walls 11', 12' of the display case 10 along the central longitudinal vertical plane of the display case. The center partition 32 is formed of a pair of parallel, laterally spaced panels 33, 34 rising from the region of the insulated shelf panels 28, 29 to the region of the load line 35 and spaced apart to define a cold air return duct 36 therebetween for returning refrigerated air to the refrigerated compartment 3%). The panels 33, 34 are likewise flanged at their lower ends to form a supporting ledge for the inner edges of the insulated shelf panels 28, 29.

One or more motor-driven fans 37, preferably disposed to rotate about a vertical axis, are supported within a fan housing 33 which surrounds the fan blades and at least a portion of the fan motor. The fan housing 38 is ,open'at the upper end thereof and communicates with a plenum chamber 39 communicating-with the lower end of the cold air return duct 36 and forming the low pressure plenum for the system. The air drawn into the fanhousing 33 from the low pressure plenum chamber 39'is discharged through openings formed in the lateral walls of the fan housing 38, indicated generally by the reference character 49, and disposed in the lower Zone of the side walls of the fan housing 38, which form a primary air control for the system. The air discharged through the openings 40 is; forced into the'high pressure plenum chambers 41 lying generally laterally of the fan housing 38 toward each of the side walls 14, 15,and thence through cooling coil units 42 or 43 extendingthe length of the display case 16 and disposed nearv the lower entrance to the cold air delivery ducts 23, 24. Parti tions 44 extend from the cooling coil units 42, 43 to the flanges 27 of theinner panels21, 22 to isolate thecharm bers 45 at the posterior end of the cooling coil'units; 42,, 43 relative to the directionof air flow from the plenum chambers 41.

the desired elevation above elements 46 'to provide this even distribution of air will .be in accordance with principles well-known to persons skilled in the art. Additionally, deflecting vanes 47 are provided within the upper endsof the coldair delivery ducts 23, 24 inwardly of thedischarge openings 25, 26,

which may be curved in the manner illustrated in Figure 3, for the purpose of leveling the flow of refrigerated air across the product in the product compartment 31.

Fitted into the upper end of the cold air return duct 36 "between the pane's 33; 34 thereof is a cap'member 48 having a pairof downwardly inclined divergent surfaces forming an upwardly pointing wedge-shaped upper surface 49, and a pair of slightly convergent side walls 50 depending therefrom extending into underlying relation with the panels 33, 34. The cap member 48 is provided with a large number of slots 51 arranged along parallel vertical axes in the portions of the side walls 50 extending above the upper ends of the panels 33, 34 and projecting beyond the cornersbetween the side walls 50 and the wedge-shaped upper surface 49 a slight distance into the upper surface 49. ,The slots 51 form air intake openings for the return of refrigerated air into the return duct 36. The upper ends of the panels 33, 34 of the center partition unit 32 are provided with outwardly inclined spacer formations 52 terminating in flanges returning into contact with the side walls 50 of thecap member 48, to provide abutments for spacing the products in the product compartment 31 from the side walls 50 of the cap member 48 and prevent blocking of the slots 51 in the cap member 48.

Suitable openings 53 may be provided at spaced locations in the inner side panels 21, 22 and the panels 33, .34 of the center partition unit 32 to receive rods projecting from product racks 54 and support the racks 54 at the insulated shelf panels As illustrated in Figure 4, the bottom 13 of the case is provided with a drain conduit 55 extending to a suitable external plumbing connection and having a pair of drain inlets 56 lying in drain wells 57 in the lower region of each of the high presure plenum chambers 41. The rain inlets 56 are preferably located approximately at the longitudinal center of the case 10 and the lower walls of the drain wells 57 inclined downwardly to the drain inlets 56. The case 10 is also provided with skid rails 58 spaced longitudinally of the case 10 at desired locations, fronted at each side of the case by a service box 59 having the usual front plate or kick plate facing outwardly of the case, the service boxes 59 being adapted to receive plumbing and electrical conduits.

A display canopy, generally indicated by the reference character 60, may be associated, if desired, with the display case 10. The display canopy 60 preferably, comprises a plurality of vertical posts 61 spaced longitudinally of the case 10 and lying in the medial vertical longitudinal plane thereof. The canopy posts 61 may be formed of ,to be aflixed to the end walls 11, 12, and the socket members 62 located intermediate the end walls of the case may be in the form of rectangular tubular members formed of sheet metal having bores complementing the cross-section of the posts 61 to receive the posts 61 in telescopic relation thereto, the socket members being affixed to the bottom 13 of the case by suitable socket braces. The upper ends of the canopy posts Glare preferably secured together to rigidity the canopy supporting framework by downwardly opening longitudinal channels 63. The canopy posts 61 preferably support an upper shelf 64 at the top thereof and a lower shelf 65 which is smaller than the'upper shelf 64 and is located intermediate the upper shelf and the top of the display case 10. The shelves 64, 65 are preferably adjustable vertically of the posts 61, and may be formed of a shelf supporting bracket 66 of substantially truncated right triangular profile surmounted by a shelf panel 67 having a price tag molding 68 at the outer end thereof, the base of the truncated triangular shelf supporting brackets 66 each having a plurality of locking hook formations 69 adapted to be projected into slots 70 in the posts 61 to removably and adjustably support the shelves 64, 65 on the posts 61. The upper shelf 64 projects at each side thereof a substantial distance beyond the outer ends of the lower shelf 65 and preferably has an' elongated lamp 71, such as a fluorescent lamp, carried by a support 72 affixed tothe under surface of the shelf panels 67 of the upper shelf 64, the lamp 71 being located outwardly of the vertical plane through the adjacent outer edge of the lower shelf 65 so as to direct light onto the products in the case 10 as well as those on the lower shelf 65.

A covering of insulating material 73 is provided around each of the posts 61 in the region adjacent the cap member 48 so as to eliminate sweating and frosting along those regions of the posts 61. It will be apparent that the cap member 48 of the center partition unit 32 is pro- .vided with openings of a size suitable to receive the canopy posts 61 therethrough and disposed in registry with the socket members 62 for the posts 61.

By the above described construction, cooling air is recirculated throughout the display case by means of the fans 37 which draw air through the cold air return duct 36 formed in the center partition unit 32 and common to the two oppositely extending air circulation loops, and forcing the air in opposite directions through the primary air controls 40, into the high pressure plenums 41, thence through the cooling coils 42, 43, the posterior chambers 45, the secondary air controls 46, and the cold air delivery ducts 23, 24 and out the discharge openings 25, 26

into the product compartment 31. The refrigerated air flows from the discharge openings 25, 26 at the sides of the display case to the center partition unit 32, eliminating the possibility of a forced spill-over of the type which is inherent in many types of air circulation. It will be understood that such display cases will normally be made in standard length units of approximately eight and twelve feet. Preferably, two fans 37, each having an associated low pressure plenum 39 will be employed in the eight foot cases, and three fans in the twelve foot cases. In one preferred example, the cases would be about fifty-seven inches in width, the opening 20 would have a width of about forty-one inches, and the product compartments 31 a width of about twenty-one inches each. The tendency of ambient air to settle into the wide display opening is reduced by the design of the air intake formed by the slots 51 in the cap member 48, wherein a relatively small area of openings is provided in the top of the cap member 48 and the spacer formations 52 prevent block- 'ing of the slots 51 in the side walls 50 by the products in the product compartment. The cooling air surrounds the product in its air circulation loop and no openings are reduces the tendency of ambient air to mix with the that other modifications may bemade in the invention a without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed bythe prior art and are set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An island type refrigerated display case having a bottom and side and end walls defining an elongated, upwardly opening space therein, bottom panel means dividing said space into a lower refrigeration compartment and an upper frozen product zone, each extending substantially the entire'length of the display case, said side and end walls being of substantially equal height, vertical divider partition means disposedat the medial longitudinal axis of the display case extending the length of said space between the end walls of the display case from said bottom panel means to a level near the top of said side and end walls dividing said frozen product zone into a pair of transversely spaced frozen product compartments, said partition means having air intake opening means extending the length of said divider partition means at the upper end thereof and an air return duct communicating with said openings and with said lower refrigeration compartment, means for circulating refrigerated air in air circulation loops extending toward the opposite sidewalls of the display case from said divider partition means including fan means for drawing air through said air intake openings, directing the intake air downwardly through said return duct, and forcing the air in opposite directions within said lower refrigeration compartment from the longitudinal center of said display case toward the side walls thereof, air cooling elements located within said refrigeration compartment in the path of the air forced by said fan means toward said side walls, and refrigerated air delivery duct means extending along said side walls from a point near said air cooling elements to a point near the tops of said side walls and having air discharge openings adjacent the upper ends thereof for delivering refrigerated air to a level near the tops of said side walls and discharging the refrigerated air inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the display case across the adjacent frozen product compartment.

2. An island type refrigerated display case having a bottom and side and end Walls defining an upwardly opening frozen product zone therein and a lower refrigeration compartment substantially coextensive horizontally with and disposed below said frozen product zone, said side and end walls being of substantially equal height, a divider partition in said frozen product zone extending vertically along the central longitudinal axis of the display case over the length of the frozen product zone and extending vertically from the top of said lower refrigeration compartment to a level near the top of said side and end walls, said divider partition separating said frozen product zone into a pair of transversely spaced product compartments extending longitudinally of the frozen product zone, a cap member at the top of said divider partition having air intake openings therein over the length of said divider partition and said divider partition having an uninterrupted air return duct extending over the length of the divider partition and communicating with said air intake openings and with said lower refrigeration compartment, means for circulating refrigerated air in air circulation loops extending toward the opposite side walls of the display case from said divider partition including fan means located in said lower refrigeration compartment below and adjacent to said air return duct for drawing air through said air intake openings and downwardly through said air return duct and then forcing the air laterally in opposite directions within said lower refrigeration compartment toward the side walls of the display case, cooling coil units extending substantially the length of the display case located at each side of said fan means within said refrigeration compartmerit in the path of air discharged by said fan means toward theside walls, and duct means forming refrigerated air delivery ducts extending vertically along the side walls' of the display case in communication with said lower refrigeration compartment to receive air discharged by said fan means through said cooling coil units and having air discharge openings adjacent the upper ends thereof located near the tops of said side walls for discharging refrigerated air inwardly across said product compartments toward said air intake openings of said divider partition. 1 t

3. An island type refrigerated display case having a bottom and side and end walls defining an upwardly opening frozen product zone therein and a lower refrigeration compartment substantially coextensive horizontally with and disposed below said frozen product zone, said side and end walls being of substantially equal height,

a divider partition in said frozen product zone extending vertically along the central longitudinal axis of the display case over the length of the frozen product zone and extending vertically from the top of said lower refrigeration compartment to a level near the top of said side and end walls, said divider partition separating saidfrozen product zone into a pair of transversely spaced product compartments extending longitudinally of the frozen product zone, a cap member at the top of said divider partition having air intake openings therein over the length of said divider partition and said divider partition having an uninterrupted air return duct extending over the length of the divider partition and communicating with said air intake openings and with said lower compartment, means for circulating refrigerated air in air-circulation loops extending toward the opposite side walls of the display case from said divider partition including a fan housing located in said lower refrigeration compartment below and adjacent to said air return duct having a fan therein and air inlet and outlet openings, a low pressure plenum chamber communicating the air inlet opening of said fan housing with said air return duct over a length of said airreturn duct extending substantial distances longitudinally of the display case beyond said fan housing, said air outlet openings of said fan housing being arranged to force air laterally in opposite directions toward the side walls of the display case within said lower refrigeration compartment, a high pressure plenum chamber disposed to each side of the fan housing toward the side walls of the display case for receiving the air discharged through said air outlet openings, ducting means forming air delivery ducts extending along said side walls over substantially the length thereof in communication with said lower refrigeration compartment at their lower ends and extending to a point near the tops of said side walls, said air delivery ducts having air discharge openings adjacent the upper ends thereof for delivering air forced through said air delivery ducts across said product compartments toward said air intake openings of said divider partition, and a cooling coil unit located in said lower refrigeration compartment at each side of said fan housing in communication with the high pressure plenum chamber on the same side of the fan housing and with said air delivery duct.

4. An elongated refrigerated display case adapted for island displays having a bottom and side and end walls defining an upwardly opening area therein, said side and end walls being of substantially the same height, bottom panel means spaced above said bottom to provide a lower refrigeration chamber and an upwardly opening frozen product chamber above said lower refrigeration chamber, inner side panels spaced from said side walls to provide refrigerated air delivery ducts along said side walls communicating at their lower ends with said lower refrigeration chamber and rising into proximity to the upper edges of said side walls, said delivery ducts having I air discharge openings adjacent the upper ends thereof -for discharging refrigerated air inwardly of said side walls toward the longitudinal center of the display case,

divider partition means extending longitudinally of the case between said end walls along the central longitudinal substantially the the level of said air discharge openings, said divider partition means dividing said upper frozen product chamber into two transversely spaced display compartments each extending the length of the display case, said divider partition means having air intake opening means along the topthereof and an air return duct communicating at its upper end with said air intake opening means and at its lower end with said lower refrigeration chamber, air circulating means in said lower refrigeration chamber in communication with said air return duct for forcing air drawn through said refrigerated air return duct laterally of said air circulating means in the direction of each of said side walls, refrigerating means in said refrigeration chamber for cooling the air forced laterally from said air return duct in the direction of said side walls, said air circulating means forming an .air current flow from each side of the display case to said divider partition means across the upper regions of said frozen product display compartments and into said air return duct to said lower refrigeration chamber and then in opposite directions toward the side walls of the display case through said refrigerating means and upward through said refrigated air delivery ducts.

; An island type refrigerated display case having a "bottom and side and end walls defining an elongated, upwardly opening space therein, bottom panel means divid- .vertical plane of the display case over a vertical extent .from the top of said lower refrigeration chamber to of transversely spaced frozen product compartments and having air intake opening means extending the length of said'divider partition means at the upper end thereof and an air returnduct communicating with said openings and with said lower refrigeration chamber, means for circulating refrigeratedair in air circulation loops extending toward the opposite sidewalls of the display case from said divider partition means including fan means located in said lower refrigeration chamber below and adjacent to said air return duct for drawing air through said air intake openings and forcing the air in opposite directions within said lower refrigeration chamber from the longitudinal center of said display case toward the side walls thereof, air cooling elements located at each side of said fangmeans for cooling the air discharged by said fan means toward said side walls, refrigerated air delivery duct means extending along said side walls from a point near said air-cooling elements to a point near the tops of .said side walls and having air discharge openings adjacent the upper ends thereof, for deliverying refrigerated air to a level near the tops of said side walls and discharging the refrigerated air inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the display case, and a shelf canopy comprising a plurality of vertical posts supported by said display case and disposed in the medial vertical longitudinal plane of the display case, a plurality of vertically spaced shelves supported on said posts above thelevel of the tops of said end and side walls and extending symmetrically from said posts toward the opposite side walls of the display case.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,950,204 Wood" Mar. 6, 1934 2,119,422 Cruse May 31, 1938 2,222,524 Wolf Nov. 19, 1940 2,640,330, Johnson June 2, 1953 2,732,689 Shreve Jan. 31, 1956 2,915,884 Haushalter et al. Dec. 8, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 86,955

Norway Feb. 27, 1956 

